What's to chat about?

[Bruce Weldy]

Well, if you get into the Gulf of Mexico, swing north up the Guadalupe River for 240 miles and I'll pick you up under the bridge at IH35. Might need to use a canoe though.....gets kinda shallow in places.

[Seth]

Well, if you get into the Gulf of Mexico, swing north up the Guadalupe River for 240 miles and I'll pick you up under the bridge at IH35. Might need to use a canoe though.....gets kinda shallow in places.

I know you're joking around. But, I'd drive two days outta my way to shake your hand and share a meal. For sure. Although, looking at the satellite imaging, the Guadalupe appears to be highly impassible in anything much larger than a canoe. The US coast of the Gulf is not currently on my radar as a destination. If I did swing in that way, looks like renting a car at Corpus Christi and heading out your way by land would be the better choice.

[Bruce Weldy]

Well, if you get into the Gulf of Mexico, swing north up the Guadalupe River for 240 miles and I'll pick you up under the bridge at IH35. Might need to use a canoe though.....gets kinda shallow in places.

I know you're joking around. But, I'd drive two days outta my way to shake your hand and share a meal. For sure. Although, looking at the satellite imaging, the Guadalupe appears to be highly impassible in anything much larger than a canoe. The US coast of the Gulf is not currently on my radar as a destination. If I did swing in that way, looks like renting a car at Corpus Christi and heading out your way by land would be the better choice.

With all of the dams and rapids between the Gulf and where I live, you'd have to have a canoe with wings.... But, come on up, there's food, beer, and cigars up here. In fact, our local Wurstfest starts up in November. My "polka" band will be playing 8 shows there - all of your favorite R&R tunes done polka-style. It's a hoot....everything from AC/DC to ZZTop.

[AntonZ]

So where did the sailing dream come from Seth? Do you have sailing experience, if so in what shape and form? Speaking for myself, I have learned sailing small boats as a kid. I have always enjoyed it very much. As I wrote earlier, mostly small open boats and a few yachts, also quite small. Not the kind of size you are speaking of. What kind of boats have you sailed, what kind of experience do you have on salt water? Any longer trips you have been on?

While I am technically familiar with sailing, I have always been back on shore in the evenings. Never did any trips where I've been on water and moving day and night for more days. Let alone a few weeks, which is what it takes to cross an ocean. Both technically as well as mentally that seems a different ball game to me. And there is stuff like navigation, reading charts, radio contact with other ships or coast guard, stocking food, water and fuel with sufficient margins to survive incidents or weather induced delays, picking your routes depending on weather, currents, time of year, presence or absence of other vessels. Being in or near a major shipping lane can be a life saver as well as a constant threat: you'd have to be on the lookout for big ships just about constantly, setting alarms every hour during the night if you sail your ship alone, just to make sure you don't bump into that oil tanker. The big ships move fast.

Dealing with bad weather, which you are going to run in to anyway sooner or later. I would think anyone sailing a yacht will avoid the typical times of year where bad weather is a certainty rather than a calculated risk on your itinerary. Think hurricane or monsoon season. But you can be 100% sure that at some point you will find yourself in a storm and suffer minor or major damage to your ship. Gotta deal with that shit. I know that I lack a lot of knowledge and experience for such an undertaking. I'm curious to hear about your nautical background.

[Seth]

I absolutely love the depth of questioning, Anton.

Watching other YouTube channels was ultimately the inspiration to take it on myself. That, paired with a family vacation a handful of years ago to the BVI where we chartered a powerboat for 10 days. I remember thinking, THIS is how and where I want to live. It just never occurred to me as a possible reality until recent years. I told one of my good friends my desire, maybe four or five years ago, and his reply has rung in the back of my mind ever since. Which, now that I think of it, is also a huge inspiration in making this a real goal. Anyway, his reply was "why don't you?" It just seemed more like a dream back then. It didn't occur to me as something that could be realistic. Why don't I is an interesting question because I had lot's of "reasons" why I couldn't. As time passed and that question ruminated a bit, I realized maybe I should try focusing on reasons I can instead of reasons I can't. How silly is it to be committed to any belief that stands as proof as to why I can't achieve what I want out of life? Like there's a "too good" that no one should have. Screw that. Once I started asking myself "How can I" instead of 'why don't I", avenues became visible. Truth is, there's plenty of fixers out there. I can get a free boat tomorrow and be in Mexico by this time next week. There's no more doubt in my mind, this can be achieved.

I took sailing courses as a youngster, Sabot's and Laser's. Other than that, I have zero adult sailing experience, outside of a couple day sails recently, on a 50' and a 26'. So, I'm currently pretty limited, experience wise. However, I'm 100% certain I have the knowledge and skills needed to get from A to B. That said, maximizing sail trim and course to best capitalize on the conditions at hand is a skill I look forward to mastering along the way. Other than that, learning how to best utilize todays technology to keep myself in favorable wind and sea conditions while also avoiding dangerous weather and other hazards is high on my list. I know things will happen, stuff will come up, emergencies will occur anyways. But, I'm not looking to get myself into any real hot water where I can avoid it. If I'm feeling any doubt in my abilities once my 2026 goal date comes, I'll definitely make smart choices. I feel confident now, though. Some things will just have to be learned by doing them.

As far as maintenance and repair skills if/when shit hits the fan, I don't think anyone is truly ready for everything that can occur out there. I've heard stories of peoples rudders falling off and sailing 1000 miles using the drag of a bucket cleated to one side or the other to steer the boat back to port. Masts getting blown off/over. Lightning strikes melting through hull fittings. Some serious problems can absolutely occur out there. I've been a powerboater all my life and am very familiar with all the onboard systems. Water makers, Generators, Battery banks, fuel, potable and black water tanks, macerators, AC electrical systems, DC electrical systems, water pumps, VHF, radar, GPS, Autopilot, etc. I've got as good a background in all that stuff any seasoned cruiser and have zero worries there. But, the parts that are specific to sailing, not so much. I've learned a lot from reading and watching these other stories of dealing with disaster. And it seems to me, as long as someone doesn't give up on creating a solution (because there's always a solution), they'll eventually figure out how to get to where they need to get. So, hopefully I can just avoid the more serious of random catastrophe's while out to sea by just being prudent in parts inspection, maintenance, and observing weather predictions. But, should an unavoidable bad situation occur, I'll just have to be as ready and prepared as I can be and just figure it out. I feel like, even if I had to abandon ship, by having my position frequently uploaded, tracked, and recorded to my website, it probably wouldn't take too long for help to be sent or difficult to be found. But yeah, I could die out there. As good a way to go as any other, if you ask me. When that time does come for me, if I could choose, I'd rather go wide awake with my boots on and know it, than go in my sleep at an old folks home.

I'm going to try my best to not sail alone. If finding a sexy First Mate with an adventurous spirit proves unfruitful, I'll likely resort to taking on friends and family for different legs for as long as I can. I'll find some peeps. I'm not so daunted by the task of single handing as to avoid it for that sake alone. I just desire sharing the experience with someone more than I desire the ego trip of single handing long passages. Had I been aware of it in my more youthful years, I definitely would have been drawn to racing the Singlehanded Transpac, a race held every two years, 2300-ish miles (3600-ish km) from San Francisco Bay, California to Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii. Doesn't really call to me at the moment. I'd rather spend weeks at sea, not in a hurry, and share the thrill of catching fish, daily navigation planning, taking turns on watch, and finally arriving at a destination and exploring, SCUBA diving, spearfishing, grilling dinner over a fire on a random isolated beach while sipping from coconuts... all of that just seems like time better shared than experienced alone. If circumstances arise where I have to do some singlehand sailing for a time, so be it. Not my goal though.

I think I'm going to start a mini series in the beginning of my YouTube channel called "Global Cruising on a Shoe's String". In this series I will investigate some of the budget friendly solutions I've come across in my research. There's DIY navagation, DIY autopilot, DIY watermakers, DIY battery solutions, DIY solar and other battery charging solutions... stuff like that. Not so much "How To" videos, more so videos that document plusses and minuses, testing, proof of concept (or lack thereof), and implementation.

For instance, I have this question about watermakers that I can't find a suitable answer to. Watermakers are just Reverse Osmosis filters and a high pressure pump to force the water through the membrane. In researching individual components to see if piecing my own system together would save enough money to make it worthwhile compared to buying a commercially produces system, I learned about Ultra Low pressure RO membranes. Where the traditional RO membrane would typically require 600-800psi, the ultra low pressure membranes only require 100psi, which seems to me like a great way to save on the electricity demands of the vessel. Then I wondered, would an under sink Reverse Osmosis drinking water filtration system available at any home improvement store work as for desalination? According to the numbers, it absolutely should. But, for how long? How many gallons until a home style system required the membrane to be replaced? One gallon? Fifty? Five hundred? No answers are currently available on the internet and no evidence that anyone has even tried it. My thoughts are, for a smaller sailing vessel of two people only requiring water for drinking, 5 gallons a day should be more than enough. But, how many days will a system like that work? Guess I'm going to take one for the team, try it out, and video document the success or failure. It'll also provide an opportunity to capitalize on an opportunity to make some money my providing affiliate links if it all works out and maybe get a few bucks out of it. Gonna need every little bit and it all adds up.

Got on a bit of a rambly tangent there. I love talking about this. Gonna love doing it too. Ask all your questions, share all your experiences. I enjoy it.

[Tom Smit]

Sounds like my kind of adventure! Um, have you given thought in regards to the possiblility of having nothing but the boat, sail, and rudder? I mean, reaaaallll old-school....no technology what so ever. I can tell, and I am thankful, that you are definitely looking into all aspects.

[Seth]

Sounds like my kind of adventure! Um, have you given thought in regards to the possiblility of having nothing but the boat, sail, and rudder? I mean, reaaaallll old-school....no technology what so ever. I can tell, and I am thankful, that you are definitely looking into all aspects.

I could see doing something like that for a weekend thing. Sail out to an island and do my best Robinson Crusoe for a couple days. There's absolutely no way I'd consider going old school long term though. I'll let someone else make that video. I ordered a Starlink Mini and it just came in the other day. I'd say having reliable internet offering fully operational telephone service over IP and being able to google EVERYTHING definitely better fit's my vision. I don't mind roughing it. But, I'm not into roughing it for longer than is fun. I enjoy camping, but wouldn't want to live 10 years of my life out of a tent. Especially without internet. LOL

This Starlink deal is pretty neat.

[Tom Smit]

I could see doing something like that for a weekend thing.

Shoot, I wasn't clear enough. My intent was to ask if you are/will be prepared for going old-school if something disastrous occurs. In other words, if you lost all electrical power and electric/electronic devices, and only had sail power and enough knowledge to steer your way to safety.
In regards to desalination, I have seen a video or two that used solar power to evaporate salt water, and then use a plastic film(in a cone or dome shape) to condense the vapour into straight drinkable water.

[AntonZ]

Yeah, it does make sense to just do it once for the experience and the confirmation that (1) it can be done and (2) you have the skills and perseverance to get it done.

So how would one go about if one ended up with noting but boat, sails and rudder? Also without any means to autopilot. If you are sailing the boat single handedly, you cannot be on deck 24/7. A human body and mind needs sleep. We can do quite a while on little sleep. We cannot keep going without any sleep: at some point our internal systems just give up altogether. I know of a trick on a daysailer that keeps the boat in a stable position relative to the wind, albeit at the cost of all forward speed. You'd actually be going where the wind blows, slowly. It is a good one to have in your repertoire while e.g. preparing and eating a meal, doing emergency repairs or just to catch some much needed sleep.

I do not know if it would work in heavy winds or a storm. And in the waves that come with such weather at sea. There must be a word for it in English sailspeak but I learned all I know in my barbarian native language

Seth, thanks for elaborating. Any further questions I come up with I will fire them right at you

[Seth]

I could see doing something like that for a weekend thing.

Shoot, I wasn't clear enough. My intent was to ask if you are/will be prepared for going old-school if something disastrous occurs. In other words, if you lost all electrical power and electric/electronic devices, and only had sail power and enough knowledge to steer your way to safety.
In regards to desalination, I have seen a video or two that used solar power to evaporate salt water, and then use a plastic film(in a cone or dome shape) to condense the vapour into straight drinkable water.

Ohhhhh. Yeah, I read your last post over a few times, trying to make sense of it, and just gave it my best stab. I get it now.

That's a good point. My intention is to have backup's of all systems that are reasonable to do so (not likely to carry an extra engine onboard). So, I'll have several GPS options, including battery powered handheld, as well as Navigation Apps in my phone, several compasses, several VHF radios... I'm not sure what I'd do if I lost ALL navigation aids, including a compass. Just do the best I can at heading the direction that feels right, I guess. It would be a highly unlikely situation to lose everything. Not altogether impossible. Close though.

I'll ideally have enough extra bottled water onboard to make the planned passage even if I could not make my own water along the way. But, a solar still might not be a bad idea. I'm pretty sure life rafts include them in their supplies. But still (NPI), why not have another. Cheap insurance.

[Seth]

So how would one go about if one ended up with noting but boat, sails and rudder? Also without any means to autopilot. If you are sailing the boat single handedly, you cannot be on deck 24/7. A human body and mind needs sleep. We can do quite a while on little sleep. We cannot keep going without any sleep: at some point our internal systems just give up altogether.

Again, I hope to avoid sailing alone. But, in the case I was sailing alone and a situation arose such that both the primary and backup auto pilot became inoperable, my initial intuition would be to secure the rudder in place to hold as close to my intended course as possible and take 20 minute naps. It would also be nice if I had a Hydrovane, which would solve the steering issue too. Not sure that I'll make that mandatory or not yet. I have heard of methods of rigging the tiller/wheel to the main sheet to achieve similar results as a Hydrovane...

I know of a trick on a daysailer that keeps the boat in a stable position relative to the wind, albeit at the cost of all forward speed. You'd actually be going where the wind blows, slowly. It is a good one to have in your repertoire while e.g. preparing and eating a meal, doing emergency repairs or just to catch some much needed sleep.

I do not know if it would work in heavy winds or a storm. And in the waves that come with such weather at sea. There must be a word for it in English sailspeak but I learned all I know in my barbarian native language

Heaving to ? I've seen a few videos where they hove to in a storm, battened the hatches, and did their best to relax and wait for the storm to pass. Definitely a thing I'll need to practice.

This guy, single handing a 26Ft/8M in the middle of the Atlantic shows it done pretty well. You can also see his Hydrovane getting a workout. I don't think he uses auto pilot.

[AntonZ]

Heaving to ? I've seen a few videos where they hove to in a storm, battened the hatches, and did their best to relax and wait for the storm to pass. Definitely a thing I'll need to practice.

Yep, that's exactly what I meant. It is easy to do and fun to see the boat moving itself automagically to keep its' position relative to the wind. I have done it on daysailers. Even in pretty strong winds the boat becomes relatively calm. It does not do away with any big waves though. It is a good tool to use in case you are the one handling the boat but your attention is required somewhere else onboard, especially any emergencies. Think first aid to a crew member, using the radio, tending to a makeshift repair or something as ordinary as using the toilet or having a well deserved meal.

I read it is used for reefing among other things. Depends on which sail or sails you intend to reef, and how the reefing is physically done. On daysailers with classic reefing on the main sail this does not work because the main sail goes too far out to be physically accessible all the way to the far end of the boom. At least that has been my experience. If you have a somewhat more advanced reefing system then it may work well. Most yachts these days will be better equipped than the small boats that I have sailed so it may work well there.

[Tom Smit]

Seth, if there were a "like" button I would have hit it. Anyway, glad you "got it". Thumbs up!

[Tom Smit]

Yo, Seth, I watched a Youtube short recently that showed the incredible intelligence of Orcas. They swam, 4 abreast, and swamped an ice floe. The same team also rammed the ice floe from underneath and caused it to crack (they were after sea lions). Another showed that they controlled the rudder of a sail boat (can't remember if they swamped it as well.). I am not trying to scare you in your endeavor...just trying to give some food for thought about possible eventualities. You know...foreknowledge..

[Seth]

Thanks for the thoughtfulness, Tom. Since there's no record of Orca's ever attacking humans (outside of captivity), I suppose I'd have to dive in and give 'em the WTF look. If that didn't work, not sure what I'd do. I'd get the whole thing on video, so I'd at least get some payout in the venture of sinking. LOL

Pirates, adrift Shipping Containers, Rogue waves, unforeseen extreme weather conditions... there's certainly dangers to be aware of and prepared for. I just watched a couple videos last night, stories about people that had situations where accidental jibes (like a tack, but the wind is behind the boat) where the boom flew across from one side of the boat to the other and essentially took a head off in one case, and caused extreme head trauma leading to death shortly after in the other case. I've watched a ton of bright, sunny, beach weather and tropical islands videos and you're right, now that I'm sold I need to start preparing for the worst, foreknowledge.

I've looked at a few boats over the past month or so. I'm still very much in the stage learning what I want and what I don't want in a boat. One, I really liked the layout but it needed so much more work than the boat was worth. Another, the price was right and it didn't need all too much in the way of repairs, but it was set up for racing and while it had completed several 2300mi offshore Pacific passages between San Francisco and Hawaii, it had very very little in the way of homie and comfortable accommodations below deck. A navigation station, spots to sleep, a place to cook, and a toilet... no walls, no privacy. All business, no pleasure.